Oregon cuts 3,800 jobs in September; hospitality hit hard

PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon shed jobs for the second month in the row, but its unemployment rate was essentially unchanged.

The state Employment Department said Tuesday the jobless rate for September was 4.2 percent, up from 4.1 percent a month earlier.

Oregon’s nonfarm payroll employment dropped by 3,800 jobs, following a revised loss of 7,000 jobs in August. The slowdown comes after six months of rapid gains.

The leisure-and-hospitality industry cut 3,700 jobs in September, its second consecutive bad month after strong hiring in June and July.

Construction was the star of the report, adding 2,900 jobs.

Another unemployment measure, known as U-6, was at 8.2 percent in September – down from 10.2 percent at this time last year. The figure includes discouraged workers who stopped looking as well as part-time workers who want but can’t get full-time jobs.